After all the mocks and predictions, we finally got to the 2023 NFL Draft.
Now that it’s over, let the analysis begin!
It was an incredible three days of newly-minted NFL rookies finding out which teams they were joining, and we here at For The Win have given you all kinds of analysis from all angles, from grading picks to ranking every one of the draft classes. There was also some fun, like the best-dressed players in Kansas City.
So here’s a roundup of all our coverage for you to read as the NFL offseason truly begins, with free agency mostly behind us and minicamps and OTAs in the near future.
1
Grades!
Our grades for the first round. Also, grades for every second- and third-rounder. Our take on the Falcons picking running back Bijan Robinson? “A. Or F. Man, I don’t know.” Here’s more:
Ultimately, Robinson is a stud whose skills are worthy of a top-10 pick, but his fit and positional value sure don’t seem to be. Maybe he carries the Falcons, like Derrick Henry in Tennessee, and Desmond Ridder becomes a viable starting quarterback against defenses devoted to stopping the run. Or maybe he only brings a little more value than a running back selected in the fifth round does, and the Atlanta defense struggles without a blue chip rookie reinforcement.
This could be brilliant. It could be terrible. Five decades of franchise history certainly suggests we should lean toward the latter.
2
Every team's draft class, ranked
Who’s No. 1? Spoiler alert: It’s the Colts!
The Colts needed to nail this draft to put their rebuild on the fast track. And, thus, the Colts nailed this draft. Getting Richardson without having to trade up was a win in and of itself. Bolstering his roster with well regarded prospects throughout the middle rounds.
Indianapolis got Downs, Rush and Adebawore all roughly one round later than pundits expected. Brents was a potential first round corner who slid to the mid-second and Freeland is an athletic tackle with room to grow who made my top 75 big board before dropping to the 106th pick. If half these guys live up to their potential the Colts are going to be back in the playoff hunt faster than anyone expected.
3
The best dressed from Kansas City
4
Winners and losers from the entire draft
The Lions ended up on the wrong side of this list:
I like Jahmyr Gibbs, the running back. I like Jack Campbell, the linebacker. But both probably could’ve been had in the second round. I like Sam LaPorta, the tight end. He probably could’ve been had in the third or even fourth round. Selections like Brian Branch might be future Pro Bowlers (at least by my estimation), but they don’t redeem Holmes’ Lions’ early puzzling approach to this draft. If anything, they make me wonder what happened and what made the Lions eventually correct course.
5
1 thing to like from each class
Good news, Cardinals fans: At least you’ve got the Texans’ first-round picks in 2024:
The Cardinals added talent in 2023, but this overhaul is too big to complete in just one draft. Fortunately, trading back from No. 3 net the Texans’ first and third-rounders next spring — picks that could be top 10 selections behind a rookie quarterback in a rebuilding situation. Paris Johnson Jr. and BJ Ojulari are nice enough picks, but the real payoff from this year’s haul might not come until 2024.
6
Let's look to the future
Guess who’s going first (for now, even thought it’s way too early)? USC QB Caleb Williams … to the Bucs:
Replacing Tom Brady won’t be easy, but a year with Kyle Trask (maybe) at QB1 has its benefits. Either Trask outperforms expectations and Tampa winds up nowhere near the top of the draft, or the Bucs collapse into a puddle and float to the top of the draft to select Williams. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner has all the tools to be an MVP candidate on Sundays.
